Finished
by Where's Beckett
Summary: My musings after 8x02
1. Chapter 1

**As usual I own no part of this story. ABC does.**

 **And right now I am glad it belongs to them and not me**

* * *

Martha Rogers enters the 4th floor from the elevator lobby. She is carrying a letter size banker's box. She is not struggling so it must not be very heavy.

As she comes close to Captain Beckett's office an officer that Martha does not recognize challenges her

"Excuse me ma'am. Can I help you?"

"Yes darling, I need to see Katherine" Martha indicates nodding her head in the direction of the private office

"May I inquire what this is concerning?" the young woman asks

"I am Martha Rogers"

That does not seem to phase the detective

"Again ma'am, can I ask what this is concerning?"

The diva realizes that this new detective has no idea who she is "Oh, I am sorry, you must be new. I am Richard Castle's mother"

Again the woman seem unimpressed "And exactly who did you say is that was?"

It is at this moment that Martha realizes that this rookie to the precinct has no idea what transpired with her captain in the past"

"I am Katherine's mother-in-law" she finally explains

The look on the face of this young female detective indicates to Martha that she is not aware of the captain's marital status

"Oh, I see" the detective comments "Let me see if Captain Beckett is available"

Martha is looking through the partially open blinds into Beckett's office and can see that she is at her desk looking over some reports

The young detective picks up the phone and dials a number causing the ringing to be heard from the bull pen. Martha watches as Beckett picks up her phone and as the woman announces Marta's presence Kate's head pops up and she looks out to where the actress is waiting

The detective hangs up the phone and Martha can see Beckett standing and walking toward the open door

"Martha" Beckett speaks using her normal voice of authority "Please come in" and she indicates with a wave of the arm for the guest to enter

When Beckett arrives back behind her desk she indicates for Martha to sit, but she responds "I will not be here that long. I just brought you this" and she places the banker's box down on the captain's desk

Beckett has a confused look on her face "What is this?"

"Some of your personal items"

The look on Beckett's face tells it all. She has no idea what this could be about "What do you mean? My personal items?"

"Richard has packed up all of your large things and placed them in storage. The address, locker number, and the key are inside" pointing that the box. "He has paid the rent for a year. I believe that should be enough time for you to find a permanent place for them"

Kate feels hers chest getting tight "What do you mean 'my large' things?"

Your clothes, the furniture that you brought from your old apartment. Along with your book collection and that beautiful painting that we had hanging on the stairs. They are all in the storage locker"

Tears are streaming down her face "What…what is…what is in here?" Beckett points at the box

Martha looks down at the cardboard container "Your personal photographs of your family. Pictures of your mother and father. Mementos and such. Richard felt like these should not be in storage but you need to keep them safe"

"But Martha I…uh…I am planning on…"

The red head raises her hand to stop Beckett from continuing "Don't say it. Please just don't"

The room is filled with silence

Martha finally steps to the door then stops just before crossing the threshold and looks back to Beckett who has not raised her head from looking at the box lid

"Richard left this morning for London. He was offered that writing job again. Something about a secret agent or something. His last words to me were 'I should have taken this job the first time it was offered to me. Then I wouldn't be where I am now'"

Martha looks at the woman at the desk "Goodbye Katherine" and then she turns to walk out the door

It is almost an hour before Captain Beckett is able to open the box to see what is inside. What she finds is exactly what Martha had said. First an envelope containing the information on the storage locker and the pass code along with the key

Beneath that are several picture frames containing photographs of a Young Kate and her mother and father on several occasions.

After removing the framed images there is, on bottom of the cardboard box, a wooden box that Beckett immediately recognizes. It is her jewelry box. The jewelry box that Castle bought for her right after he proposed. This is the box where she kept her engagement ring when she was not wearing it, and later kept her father's watch and her most prized possession, her mother's ring.

Taking the box out and placing it on her desk, she opens the lid releasing the mechanism that prevented the drawers from accidentally opening. Inside the lid were a necklace or two and some miscellaneous items of little or no importance.

She then pulled open the main drawer looking to make sure her most prized possession, her mother's ring, is also safe.

And there it was. In the compartment where she always kept it

but….

Her heart breaks and she completely collapses into her chair and the tears flow

Lying beside her mother's ring is the simple gold band that she, at one time placed on Rick's finger

* * *

 _ **I honestly hated doing this**_  
 _ **I honestly thought that the new guys understood the importance of the love story.  
I guess not**_  
 _ **Kate told Rick he was not the most important thing in her life and walked away  
**_

 _ **SORRY**_


	2. Chapter 2

The afternoon sun is bleeding through the semi-transparent drapes covering the windows of the brownstone. He is sitting at his desk in front of the windows with his laptop open with the main display facing him. The finishing text of another chapter is sitting on the screen waiting for his final re-read before closing this particular snippet of the story

He actually had to purchase a new computer after coming here five years ago. The old one just finally gave up the ghost. But it had been a good machine. It has served him well over several years of his story telling

In fact it was responsible for the last two Derrick Storm novels and all the Nikki Heat books had been born raised and finished on that machine's hard drive.

Since those days, he had additionally written three complete spy novels and had two more almost finished and another two in the outline phase setting up the players and the base story line and necessary sub plots.

In his spare time he had also been able to start his great American novel…except now he is in Great Brittan and not America, so would that make it the great British novel instead?

Well no worry, he is hoping it will be great no matter what side of the pond he was published. Will you look at this? He is referring the Atlantic Ocean as the Brits do. But still, he has hopes that his life now will allow the words he has placed down to be well accepted all over the world just as his spy stories have done and Derrick and Nikki before that.

Prior to moving to London several years ago, he had only thought about doing this great serious literature but other, more pressing, issues were in front of him then. A new book launch. A series of books based upon an extraordinary detective that he had had the fortunate luck of meeting, loving, and finally marrying.

But! Today that is all far behind him and he must stay focused on what is important to him now.

* * *

She wanted to go straight to his flat from the airport but she has a large bag that should be left at the hotel so her first stop was the Hilton in the center of town. Her room was nice and would serve her needs nicely while she is here

Once she showered and freshened up from her long cross Atlantic flight she finds herself in front of a brownstone. The address on the building matches the address given to her for his place in town

To say she is filled with fear would be a serious understatement. She is more afraid that she has ever been before. Even more frightened than when she was staring down the assassin Elena Markov just knowing she was about to have her throat slit

She has not spoken to him in a very long time. In fact how long has it been? Years? Several years.

In the beginning there would be an occasional text or e–mail message. Usually asking about the weather of how were the books doing. He asked if she had any unusual cases to tell him about so he could add them to his ever growing list of crimes. Those stopped after the second year he was gone

Also during the first three years he was gone, they exchanged birthday and Christmas cards then even those stopped during the last two years.

But now, the very day she took down the man responsible for pulling the strings of all the terror. All the murders. All the drugs. The man she had started calling the puppet master.

That very day she bought a ticket and packed her bags to go find him and talk to him and see if…to see if there was anything left to salvage. She told him that she would come back and that is what she is doing and she can only hope he still has a place in his heart for her.

She is now standing at the door. Very much like what she had done so many years before. Only this time it is not raining outside, only in her heart. She is not covered in bruises. She had not been thrown off a building.

She looks at her left hand where she still, after all these years, still wears the ring he placed there. In fact this ring has not been removed from her hand for any reason in all this time

She raises her hand and rings the bell

* * *

As he continues to outline the story currently in his mind's focus he barely hears the sound of the door chime. Someone has come to his stoop and is asking for entry.

He looks at the clock trying to see if it might possibly be the postman. He is expecting an edit copy of his latest spy novel, but that is not due until next week.

He walks to the door and pulls it open and is frozen in place when he recognizes the woman on the other side.

* * *

He is older. More mature. More handsome than the last time she saw him. He has aged well she thinks

"Hey" she speaks softly

She is radiant. She always was radiant. But now she is older. She is showing a bit of maturing from the last time he saw her but he must admit she is still the beautiful detective that caught his eye so many years ago

"Hey" she says

He responds to her opening statement "Hey?...Beckett…What are you?...I mean hi…uh…"

He is not sure exactly what to say to her. When he finally gets control of his emotions back "I'm sorry. Excuse my bad manors…please come in" He steps aside to invite her into his home

She takes a few every cautious steps into the parlor. Looking around in a manor very similar to what she did the first time she walked into the loft in New York "This is nice, Castle"

"Thank you" he is still a little taken back by her presence "Please take a seat" pointing to a pair of wing back chairs facing the fireplace.

Beckett places her bag down beside the chairs as she sits down

"Can I get you anything? Tea, water? Tea is the usual afternoon drink here. I rarely have coffee anymore"

"Uh. No. Nothing. Thank you"

She stops. She is trying to find the words to say. Words, that on the flight from America, came easy and flowed thru her mind have chosen this time to be absent from her brain. She is totally without the things she wants to say. Words to explain what she did and why. She never wanted it to end that way. To tell him she did it to protect him. Words to tell him that even though he filed divorce papers on her, she never stopped loving him. She never went out with anyone. She NEVER even looked at another man.

And. Never took her ring off

But her brain decided to simply stop working at that moment.

"Beckett"

No response

"Beckett?"

Silence

Finally he speaks with a level of firmness in his voice she cannot remember hearing before

"BECKETT!"

She finally looks up "Castle, I wanted to talk to you. I want to explain what happened and why…" Her conversation is halted by the opening of the front door and the tiny voice coming from a small child running in Castle's direction

"DADDY!" A little boy who appears to be about three with brown hair and deep blue eyes rushes up to Castle and jumps into his arms

Castle reached down and picks up the child hand pulls him to a bear hug "Hey little man. How was the zoo?"

"It was great. I saw lions and bears and a ele-pants" Castle smiles at the antics and mispronunciation of the small child

"That is great"

The little child jumps down and rushes off "I got to go potty" and flies out of the room.

The child was followed in the front door by a tall slender very attractive woman. She smiles toward Kate "I will take the bags to the kitchen" in a beautiful British accent

Kate feels her throat tighten. She stands quickly "I am so sorry, Castle. But I have to go. I just wanted to say hi while I was here in town" and without the chance for Castle to respond Kate is out the door

* * *

She can barely see through her burning eyes as she tries to walk down the sidewalk. Her breathing is stifled and her chest is so tight she thinks she is having a heart attack

Richard Castle is stunned by what just happened but before he can consider any possible action the woman returns from the kitchen "Mr. Castle is there anything else I can do for you today?"

"No Beth. You did more than enough. Thank you so much for taking Ricky to the zoo. It gave me some quiet time to write. I have been needing to get caught up on my main stories"

"Oh Mr. Castle. Rickey is a delight to take care of. You have raised him so nicely. I don't know many single men who could have done that admirable a job raising a child alone"

"Oh this is not my first rodeo"

Not understanding the American slang "Excuse me?"

"Sorry, Beth. Earlier I raised a daughter all by myself"

"Oh. I see" She responds "Well I am hoping my husband and I can do the same"

"I am sure you and George will do very nicely"

"Thank you Mr. Castle. Will there be anything else"

"No. Go home to that nice husband of yours and you two have a great evening"

"And thank you sir" and with that the woman exits the flat

Castle has returned to the chair beside the fireplace when the little boy runs back into the room. He looks around then climbs back into Castle's lap

"Daddy, where did the pretty lady with the brown hair go?"

"Oh she had somewhere she needed to be I guess"

"Was she my mommy?" the child asks

This question catches Rick off guard "No Rickey. She is not your mommy. Remember what I told you. Your mommy went to be in heaven when you were born and I came and picked you out special from all the other little boys and girls because I wanted a special little boy to come and be my son"

"So I am special?"

"You are the most special little boy in the world"

"Daddy. Can we go to that place and find me a mommy?"

Castle has a funny look on his face "You want me to get you a mommy? Why?"

The other little boys and girls at school have mommies but I have to tell them I don't have one"

"I see"

"Daddy, could that pretty lady with the brown hair be my mommy? I would like that"

The child looks at his father and gets a strange look on his face

"Daddy, why are you crying"

* * *

 **I** **cannot believe I have sunk this low. I will have to see what 8x03 brings. I hope it fixes this because if not, I have no way to finish the love stories**

.


	3. Chapter 3

Richard Castle had been told that raising girls was much easier than raising boys and in some ways it was and in other ways it was not.

The difference is not that large in the case today. This little boy has been as easy as Alexis was in almost every way. The only issue that Castle has had to deal with has been the child's desire to know about his mother. Otherwise he has been a beautiful child.

He learns a quickly and easily as his sister/ He enjoys reading and obeys his dad's instructions without much disagreement

Rickey James Castle is a sweet little boy. He is loving child and is kind to other children he plays with. He shares on the playground making the other mom's and nanny's glad to see him come. . He is playful just like his dad and seems to enjoy all the same things as his father.

The child has no idea about the history of his father, nor does he care. Children at this age are full of innocence and wonder. All he cares about is getting to play with his friends and going to see new and wondrous things like going to the zoo. Or playing at the park with his dad and getting to play on the see saw or the swings.

Ricky really loves the swings the most and so does his dad. His dad likes to sit on the swing seat next to the little boy and talk about the world around them and the child listens to his father as he tells Ricky all about America and that they will be going back there some day and live close to his sister, Alexis. He really loves his sister and does want to see more of her and his dad is going to be arranging that move very soon

The child has no reason to know about the dark side of in this dad's life. He does not need to be exposed to the evil that exists everywhere and especially the evil that surrounded the family up until recently.

He needs to stay a little boy growing up laughing, playing, and loving.

Castle tucks the child into bed and read him a bedtime story. A story that the world famous author actually wrote during one of his more pensive between the last Nikki Heat and finishing the first spy book

Richard Castle kisses the boy on his head and turns off the table lamp and walks out of the room. "G'night daddy" the child speaks

"Good night big guy. Sleep tight":

Castle closes the bedroom door and walks back into the parlor of his flat

Once he sits down at his computer he opens a secure e-mail link and begins reading the lengthy report contained in the document. He reads the information and then re-reads to make sure he understands all the details that have been presented to him.

Satisfied that he has a complete understanding about the data, he reaches over and saves the mail for the future.

He turns off his laptop and then begins the nighttime process of closing down the house and going to bed himself

The next morning he rises and prepares breakfast for the little man. The boy has learned to love several healthy items including lean meats and fruits. After finishing the breakfast preparation Rick calls his housekeeper and asks he if it would be possible for her to come by and watch little Ricky for a few hours and she tells him she will be there in less than an hour

Richard Castle has gone to the Hilton downtown hotel and steps up to the desk clerk.

"Ms. Katherine Beckett's room please"

The lady behind the counter checks the computer then looks at Castle "If you will go to the house phone we will call her room"

"No. I would rather rent a hospitality suite and have her meet me there, if you have one available"

The woman checks the computer "Yes, sir, I can give you suite 5" the woman points down the hall from their current location. "I will tell her to meet you there"

"Please do not tell her who is waiting for her and thank you" Castle responds. He takes the key, turns in the direction indicated, and walks toward the suites

Once inside the room he makes a pot of coffee and then sits down at one of the two tables in the room

About 15 minutes later there is a knock on the door. Castle stands, walks to the door and pulls it open

Kate was not expecting to see her ex-husband waiting for her in the suite. She almost walks away, but Rick speaks first "Beckett. Do not leave again"

She halts immediately then looks back through the door at Castle "Why?"

"I would like to talk to you"

Tears are appearing in her eyes "Why do you want to talk to me?"

"Kate! Please come in here" Castle indicates for her to enter the room

After Beckett moves past the door and steps toward the table

"Why did you come to my house last night?"

There is a long pause after his question

"I wanted to talk to you" she speaks softly

"Then why did you leave so suddenly?"

She shakes her head

After another long pause Castle speaks again "You said you wanted to talk, Beckett? Talk about what? Talk about you walking out on our marriage? Leaving me high and dry with no explanation as to why you didn't want me anymore? Why you didn't want to be married to me anymore"

He has not raised his voice at her even though she knows he has every right. He still speaks to her in a level, calm manor

"Castle…" she takes a deep breath then continues trying to justify her actions "I did what I did it to protect you. The man who was responsible for my mom's murder was still out there and…" another pause "I couldn't stop it. The urge inside me, driving me to go after him. So I needed to protect you. I needed to separate myself from you and Martha and Alexis to keep all of you safe"

"Are you referring to LockStat?"

Kate is visually shaken by the word "Yes. How did you know about that?"

"Well, Detective Beckett, they came after me about three months after I moved here. It seems you hit a nerve with them just after I left New York"

She thinks a moment realizing exactly what action she did that would have been the trigger for the attack "I am so sorry Castle. I had no idea that they would come after you?"

"Beckett, why would they not come after me? We were still married at the time. They would attack anyone connected to you"

"So me walking out did not protect you?"

"Not at all detective"

"How did you get away?"

"I know a guy in MI-5. I researched for a Derrick Storm novel with him. He and I were having dinner one evening when they came. The mistake they made was my friend was an active agent, armed, and had a security detail. They killed three and captured one"

"We found out that these guys never talk. They are trained well according to Esposito"

"I didn't ask how, but they broke him and extracted a lot of intelligence from him. It was over two years but they did. They also put a detail on me"

"What did they discover?"

"I didn't ask and they didn't offer, but once they had a starting place, British Intelligence handled the investigation"

Castle pauses a moment "I know they used a dummy agent name to do the investigation. They set up a fake investigator named Danburg"

"The same name as the guy involved with Sophia Turner" Kate responds

"Exactly. That way the people behind LockStat would run into dead ends trying to find him because…"

Kate finished the sentence "He didn't exist"

Beckett thinks a moment "That is where the lead came from that we used to take down the puppet master"

Castle nods his head "When my guy told me they finally tracked him down, I asked for you to get the data so you could make the arrest. Just trying to give you some closure"

She tries to keep her emotions in check. Castle was once more involved in the case without her knowledge. She realizes she would have never solved this case without his help. She then tries to change the subject

"Castle, I see you have a new family now. It was a big mistake coming by unannounced. I am so sorry I interrupted your family time. That is why I left yesterday"

"The only family I have here is Rickey"

Beckett seems confused "What…what about the woman who came in with him?"

"She is my housekeeper and sometimes babysitter"

Beckett responds softly "OH"

"Anyway, Beckett, I see that you are wearing a wedding ring. I assume you are married again"

He can see tears forming in her eyes as she gently turns the gold band around her finger "This is the ring you placed here…I have never taken it off"

He acknowledges by a nod of his head.

"Castle, I…I just thought that I might come an ask for your forgiveness and even if you did not take me back that we might be friends"

He peruses his lips "Beckett…we were friends. That was a long time ago. Then we were lovers. Then we were married. How is it you think we could ever return to being just friends?"

"I don't know. I guess this all was a giant mistake…me hoping you could take me back. I am sure your love for me died a long time ago"

"First Kate, you should have never walked out of our marriage, putting me second. We would have still been together and solved the case. Secondly, I do still love you but…"

"You could never take me back"

She can see his mind is churning "Castle…I know I don't deserve to even be talking to you right now"

"Beckett. My life has changed,,, it has changed a lot. I have a series of very successful spy novels. All of them heading to the big screen. I have written a couple of unpublished novels that are more serious, and most importantly I have Rickey James to raise"

Beckett's head snaps up with the mane Rickey JAMES?"

"Yes Beckett. I did named him after your dad. That is probably my biggest regret in losing his friendship"

More tears flow and she knows that she can't stop them

"His mother was my editor. Her husband had died in a training accident in the service and hers was a complicated pregnancy then she died in child birth leaving the little guy with no one. It hurt me very badly so I arranged to adopt him"

"I could see your love for him in the few minutes I was there"

"He is my everything now Kate"

His attitude for her has softened somewhat

"Castle…I know this was a bad idea. But I just had to see you again. Even if this is going to be the last time. But I want you to know that I still love you every bit as much as before if not even more"

"But Kate, your love for the monsters will always be more than your love for me"

She ducks her head for a moment "I put in my papers"

Castle has a question on his face

"You retired?"

She nods her head "I decided that I need to have a life now. I have been in that rabbit hole for too long and I want to be out in the sunlight…and I was hoping it could have been with you"

"Kate, my life has changed a lot too and I will say that I spent the last five years wondering why I came in second to your demons"

"Rick…I am sorry. I wish I had known that it didn't matter if we were together or not"

"Well you did. So it is done now and you can never go back"

Again she ducks her head "I understand. She stand up to leave "Castle…I wish for you to the very best"

"Beckett stop!"

She turns around to face Castle

"We MIGHT have a chance but you need to know something"

Her looking in his eyes is the answer he needed

"Just like I came in second to the chase and as much as I still love you…if we were to re connect. You need to know that if you and I had had a child, I would love them not more than you but different than you."

"And you need to know that if we did get together you will always be second to me. Rickey will Always be first"

"Always"


	4. Chapter 4

Katherine Beckett is sitting in the family room looking out in the back yard of her suburban home. The sun afternoon sun is spreading over the trees with the colors beginning to change and grass no longer as green as summer with the beginnings of fall being felt in the air

She looks back down to her lap and the notepad where she has been writing her continuing musings for today. Over the last few years she has actually gone from retired NYPD cop to a almost famous writer in her own right. She has written several books loosely based on her twenty plus years experience as a New York police officer.

The main character she created, Karl Morgan, is a special operations unit officer. He was roughly based on Esposito and Ryan, mixed with Slaughter with just a hint of Roy Montgomery. Her player is an unapologetic street smart cop with a history of getting the confessions and taking the bad guys off the street while at the same time striving for the goal of getting closure for the victims and never having to look back.

Today she is having him involved in a case of drugs being smuggled into the city. These cases would normally not involve his unit except the crack is laced with another drug causing violent behavior resulting in several murders of innocent bystanders for no reason. The added drug cannot be identified as it is just one of the many new designer drugs being created in home grown labs all around the city and state and appearing on the street faster than the police can classify them as illegal.

She is having him in foot pursuit with a suspect who just turned the corner bringing Morgan into the home turf of the "Step" boys. They are a violent group that makes everyone 'step aside' whenever they come down the street. She is having trouble deciding how to get him out of trouble.

She smiles to herself thinking he should have brought his tag along reporter, Donna, and tell them she would show them her boobs.

Thinking about this story from her rookie days with Mike Royce makes her let out a laugh out loud

Her eyes drift back to the open glass door and the yard filled with shrubs, flower garden, pool, and ornamental landscape features.

Her mind moves forward to later in her career then the writer showed up and all the problems he created. Then the cases he helped solve. Then the love he gave her unconditionally.

The love she shoved aside to pursue a ghost that the writer found anyway and she tried to get him back

When she finally completely swallowed her pride and literally begged Castle to take her back, tears were flowing down her face and all she wanted to do was be his wife again

She thinks how her body betrayed her. How she wanted to have a baby with him. She craved a child fathered by him.

But it was not to be. He told her due to his age and not wanting any children late in life he had taken care of the possibility and if she wanted him, it came with no chance of children

It would be a price she had to pay for her actions years before.

* * *

This is when the front door of the home flies open and a tall young man with short sandy hair flies through like his clothes are on fire. The is carrying a sports bag that he drags up the stirs behind him

"I'm home" he yells as he passes at the landing on his way to his room

A short time later he comes back down. He has showered and changed from his jersey and basketball shorts, into t-shirt and long pants.

As he lands on the floor at the bottom of the stairs he yells out "Hey MOM, are you here?"

"I'm in the den" Kate answers the lanky teenager

The young man walks into the room and moves directly towards his mom and leans down and kisses her on the temple. She leans her head into the kiss and smiles in response to the affection

"How was practice?"

"Great. We will have a really good team this year"

He goes to the kitchen and grabs a bottled sports drink and then returns to the room

The young man sits down on the couch beside Kate "Can I ask you something?"

Kate closes her notebook and looks to the boy showing him that he has her full attention

"Of course"

"One of the guys on the team was saying that you were Nikki Heat"

That name, from the past, that she had not even thought about in years, brings back a flood of memories. The first time she had heard it made her angry. The thought that the writer was going to call the character by a hooker name. Then when the second book reached the shelves it only brought out more kidding from other police officers.

But that was not the end. Several more titles came out later and she became known as Nikki by so many that she finally just gave up trying to be embarrassed and learned to accept and ignore the comments. That finally slowed down the reactions.

"Yes. Why are you asking?"

She can see the boy tuning red

"What's wrong son? You are blushing"

"The guys are all into reading the books and the stories of Nikki and Rook and…well they…uh…get…they are very…"

Kate reaches over to the boy and touches his arm "Even thought I was the inspiration for Nikki Heat, I was NOT Nikki Heat. The things written in those books are all fiction"

The teenager is looking down at his lap "Mom, the thing is, that my teammates think you are Hot!"

Kate has to smile at the statement "Well" she responds proudly "That is quite a compliment"

The boy is not sure what to ask next "So you and this reporter did not…were not…I mean…"

"No son. There was no reporter"

"So you and dad…you and him…"

She takes his hand "There were others before your dad and he had other women before me but he and I have been together a long time now and with him I have never been happier"

That's good. Yeah thanks mom" the boys stands and heads to the door "I'm going to the Gill's Burgers to meet the guys." He stops then turns back "I love you mom" and the door slams as he heads out to be with his friends

She looks in the direction the young man exited and is thinking how she wuches to have had a child that was her own.

Moments later the door opens again and her husband enters. He places his case on the table. She look up as he enters the room "Hey babe"

"Hey" he responds. He walks to the couch and sits down beside her. "We need to talk"

She feels her chest immediately tighten. Placing her notes on the table beside her she tries to not show her fear for what he is about to say

Trying to calm her fears, a little, he reaches over to takes both her hands in his.

"When you asked if I could ever forgive you, I told you I needed some time"

This conversation is not starting well

"I think I have taken all the time I need to take. It is time to put closure to all of this"

Getting worse. Her throat is now closing up

"We have been good together. Early on it was amazing and even with that rough spot we are still amazing together. It's just not as intense as it once was. But…"

Tears form in her eyes HERE IT COMES

"We can be better. I want us to be better. A lot better. I want that ghost that has been around for so long, out of our home"

He smiles to her

"I told you years ago that you would always be in second place to Rickey and you accepted that"

He pulls her hands to his lips and gives each finger a kiss

"Kate you are the most important person in my life now along WITH Ricky"

In a flash Kate is on top of Rick sitting in his lap "Castle I love you" and the attack on the mouth begins

Pushing her back a little "Hold on there girl, where is our son?"

"Out with friends that embarrassed him by claiming that he has a hot mom"

Castle looks into her eyes where she can see his love pouring out for her "Well he does have a hot mom and I plan to experience all that hotness for myself right now"

* * *

 **This should give decent closure to this angst.**

 **I am trying to get my head out of the deep dark pit beside my television. Then I can go finish the love stories**


End file.
